-3rd POV-
As (Y/n) came in from another late night training session, she went to bed, but then her mind drifted off into another dream. She felt her mouth dry up, 'It feels so dry...Am I in a desert?' She thought, before noticing that she was in fact in a desert.
"You...are late." Jafar said, as he sat on the horse.
"A thousands apologies, O patient one. But I got it!" Gazeem said, flinching under the male's gaze.
"Trust me, my pungent friend. You'll get what's coming to you." He said, before the small little golden beetle began to fly, and he quickly chased after it on the horse, "Quickly! Follow the trail! Faster!" He exclaimed, cracking the reigns.
Soon, the beetle stopped and the sand started to rise.
"At last, after all my years of searching...The Cave of Wonders."
"Awk! Cave of Wonders!" Iago, who was a macaw, said.
"Now, remember—bring me the lamp!" Jafar said.
"Who disturbs my slumber?" The Cave of Wonders spoke.
The everything went dark for the girl, and her eyes fluttered open, seeing that it was now morning, "I've never seen that place before." She mumbled, before getting ready, then headed down with Grim in her arms, and were met with the ghosts.
"Hey, (Y/n). Why so bleary-eyed?" Sora said.
"You look like you've seen a ghost." Cloud said, laughing.
"Today's the last day of the fall semester. Look sharp and don't bungle the landing." Bones said.
"Oh yeah, tomorrow's the first day of the winter holiday. Have you two decided what you'll be doing?" The shortest ghost said.
"Huh? What's a win-ter holly-day?" The feline questioned.
"It's when school lets out for the season. Most students go home to celebrate the new year with their family. They have fancy dinners, too."
"Wait, there's food?!"
"And plenty of it. Roast turkey, pie, a ham as big as your head, you name it...Not that us ghosts can eat, of course." The skinnier ghost said.
Sora nodded, "Some ghosts head home to the netherworld to spend holidays with the family too, y'know."
"Yeah, and some of 'em never come back!" Cloud said, chuckling at the end.
"Spendin' time with the family while gettin' your grub on sounds nice..." The tanuki said, trailing off.
The dual haired girl looked down at them, "Since I speak about my family, what's yours like, Grim?"
"My family? Hmm...I don't remember 'em. I remember wakin' up hungry and alone. It was real cold. I was waitin' out there for someone to come get me for ages. What happened after that again? It's all so foggy..." Grim said, as the girl now felt bad for asking, "But hey, I'm a forward-facin' kinda guy anyway! The future's way cooler than the past! Especially 'cause I'm gonna be a rich and powerful sorcerer!" He laughed.
Sora let out a sniffle, "Awww, poor little Grimmy had it rough!"
"How'd you like to spend the holidays sitting around the fireplace with us?" Bones said.
The feline grinned and and laughed, "If there's good food to be had, consider me ready for some holiday cheer!"
The dual haired girl smiled softly and nodded, "I'll be happy to join." She said, which made the all smile.
-----
"Listen up, pups." Crewel began, "Your holiday vacation starts tomorrow. I'm sure all of you are foaming at the mouth to get back home. But every year, there's always some foolish pup who forgets about his homework and spends the whole break goofing off. Just remember that I have a severe punishment in store for any such slackers out there. Are we clear? You have permission to use the Dark Mirror to return home for the holidays. Report to your dorm mirror once you've packed your things!"
"Yes, Professor!" Students said.
-----
Soon, class came to an end, and everyone went to their friends to talk about what they're going to do during vacation.
Ace and Deuce turned to the girl.
"Ugh, finally! A break from this cramped dorm life!" The orange haired male said.
"Good grief. Night Raven College doesn't kid around with holiday homework. Look at all this." The blue haired male said, as he looked at the stack of papers.
"Speaking of going home, I guess you haven't found a way back yet, (Y/n)?" He said, as the girl sadly nodded.
"Will you two be spending the holidays in your dorm?"
Grim nodded, "Yup. We've made plans to have ourselves a feast with the ghosts!"
"Oh, right. There's plenty of ghosts on campus to keep you company, so it won't be just the two of you." Ace said.
"But when school lets out, don't the cafeteria and school store shut down too?" Deuce said.
"Mrow! I didn't even think about that. Where'm I supposed to get the food for my feast?!" The feline exclaimed.
"I'm sure Mr. Crowley has a plan for this...I hope." (Y/n) said.
"Sounds like you'd better check in with the headmage soon." The blue hared male said.
"You need Crowley's permission to use the Dark Mirror, so my guess is he's probably there right now. Let's find out." The orange haired male said.
-----
"Wow, it's already packed with students going home." Deuce said, as he saw all the students talking to one another.
"Hah, they all look so antsy." Ace said, smiling, "Now then, where's that headmage?" He looked around, before spotting him.
Crowley stood by the mirror, having a hat on his head, a tropical shirt and shorts on, "All right, everyone. Announce your destination to the Dark Mirror and keep a tight hold on your belongings. If you let go for any reason while in transit, your luggage will get spirited away elsewhere. If you have any possessions you absolutely cannot afford to risk losing, send them by post from the school store."
"He's in total party mode!" The three exclaim, while the girl's eyes widen, before glaring at the male.
"Wearing an aloha shirt in the middle of winter?! He's obviously ready to go on a tropical vacation!" The orange haired male exclaimed.
"He's not even trying to hide it." The blue haired male said, sighing.
"Hey, Headmage! We gotta talk!" Grim exclaimed, walking up to them.
The male turned to them, "Why, hello. What brings your merry little band here?"
(Y/n) glared at him, which sent a shiver down his spine, "Are you actually trying to find a way home for me?"
"Ah...Ahhh! Ahh, yes! Of course! A way home for you!" He laughed, "Why, I'm expending every effort! In fact, I'll be spending the winter break expanding my investigation area to a tropical land I've never visited before. That's how deeply my diligent streak runs."
"You don't look dressed for an investigation to me." Ace said.
"What he said! You look ready to go soak up in the sun!" The feline exclaimed.
"How could you suggest that? I've only clad myself in appropriate attire for my venture. When in a foreign land, do as the locals do. Escaping winter's frigid bite to kick back in a hammock and sip coconut juice while gazing at the tranquil ocean waves..." He trailed off, before feeling the freezing cold from the girl, "I have no such refined and indulgent vacation plans whatsoever, I assure you."
"What an incredibly specific denial..." Deuce said.
"It ain't fair for you to have all the fun! I wanna go on a tropical vacation too. Take us with you!" Grim exclaimed.
"What? But that would spoil my delightful getaway from—ah, ahem!" Crowley said, clearing his throat, "This investigation will be dangerous. Yes, very dangerous. Best that I handle it alone. Besides, I'd much prefer if you stayed on campus. I have a critical job for you, as a matter of fact. It's so critical, the very survival of Night Raven College hinges upon it."
The girl kept glaring at him, "If it's something dumb, I won't hesitate to burn your office." She bluntly said, as the other three stepped back, since they don't want to know what an angry (Y/n) would look like.
The male flinched, not wanting to come back to a burnt office, "Should you take on this job, your holiday provision will be provided in full. I'll even arrange for a holiday feast. Roast turkey, pie, a ham as big as your head..." He looked at them and smiled, "In fact, I'll throw in some piping hot spare ribs and mashed potatoes to sweeten—er, salt?—the deal. What do you say?"
"Mrah! Sounds like a one-way ticket to a food coma!" The tanuki said, before smiling, "H-Hmph. I guess I'll hear you out, at least."
"Dude, your a born sucker." The orange haired male said.
Crowley cleared his throat, "The fires in our campus cafeteria and fireplace are all furnished via fire fairy magic. They've lived in the cafeteria fireplace for many years...But if we don't supply them with dry firewood every day, they will fade away. Should the fire fairies disappear, our whole campus would be gripped with cold every winter."
"You know, I've wondered how the school stays so warm without central air." The blue haired male said.
"So it was magic. Kinda obvious in hindsight." Ace said.
"Normally, our kitchen ghost takes over fire duty during extended school breaks..." The older male said, trailing off, before smiling, "But this year, his daughter had a baby, so he's visiting the netherworld to see his first grandchild. Thus, I would like you two to handle things in his absence."
The dual haired girl deadpanned, "Ghosts can have grandchildren?"
"Look, it was a miracle of love, okay? Don't sweat the details." He quickly said, before clearing his throat again, "More to the point, someone needs to handle fire duty if you want to stay warm over the holidays. Just by throwing firewood into the fireplace every day, you'll stay both warm and well-fed. That is, as we say, two birds with one stone. Oh, what a generous deal!"
"Y'know, this does sound like kind of a gimme compared to the usual messes you dump in our laps." The feline said.
"Doesn't it, though? You would be surprised at just how kind I can be. Oh yes, and since I'll be out for a while, I'd like to give this to you." He said, handing the girl a phone.
"Ooh, a smartphone?" Ace said, looking at it.
"You can use this to call me in the event of any emergency. It is to be used only for emergencies, mind you. Do try not to burn through its data cap browsing Magicam or the like. Now then, if you'll excuse me, I have many students to transport home to their families. 'll leave the rest in your capable hands." Crowley said, before smiling, "Ah, I'd better make certain to peruse some tourist pamphlets before I set out. Goodness gracious, I'm very busy..." He then walked off.
"I'm burning his office." The girl mumbled.
Grim cheered, "Now I get to chow down on a fancy feast over the holidays!"
"I still get the feeling you just took a sucker's deal, but hey, whatever floats your boat." The orange haired male said.
Footsteps came towards them.
"Hey, guys! You can stop standing in the middle of the hall and blocking traffic now!" Ruggie said, smiling at them.
"Cute hyena boy." (Y/n) said, walking up to the male and patting his head, which made him blush softly.
Deuce on the other hand was shocked by the amount of luggage he had, "What's with all that luggage?! A backpack, three duffel bags, and a giant cooler..."
The male turned to him, "Oh, this?" He laughed, "I took all the food that was about to hit its sell-by date at the cafeteria and the school store. Since we're about to go on break, they gave 'em to me basically for free."
"For real? There's no way you can eat all that." Ace said.
"You'd be surprised. The neighborhood kids devour this stuff like, well...a pack of hyenas. Besides, gotta make sure my grandma eats well over the holidays. Speakin' of which, this frozen food ain't stayin' frozen for long. Gotta run! Smell ya next year!" He said, before turning to the girl, and put something on her hand, then running off.
The dual haired girl looked down at her hand and saw a bracelet, that was very unique and never seen anything like it, 'It must be from where he's from. Ah, but I'll feel guilty if it breaks when I use my quirk...I'll keep it somewhere safe.' She thought.
"There he goes..." The blue haired male said, before thinking of what the male said, "What was that about "neighborhood kids," though?" He said.
Another set of footsteps walked up to them, making them look and see Jack.
"Ruggie-senpai comes from a place where food is a bit scarce. So whenever school lets out for a long break, he stocks up on all the food he can get and shares it with all the local kids."
"What about you, Jack? What's with that planter you're hauling? You taking up gardening or something?" Ace said, pointing at the plant.
"It's a cactus I've been growin' on my free time. It'd wither up if I didn't keep it watered over break." He said, as he blushed softly and looked away, while rubbing the back of his head, "A-Anyway, enough about me!"
"Ruggie's sharin' his food with a bunch of kids who ain't even family, huh? Never knew he had it in him." Grim said.
"Hyenas believe in sharing spoils equally. I'm sure that's how Ruggie-senpai was raised."
Footsteps were heard and they looked to see Leona.
"Hmph. The mere thought of a feeding frenzy like that gives me the willies. I can barely stand the noise one kid makes as it is." He said, frowning.
"Does that mean you're skipping out on visiting your family, Leona-senpai." The silver haired male said.
"Man, I wish. Nah, they'd give me no end of grief if I did. I'm goin'." He sighed, "Talk about a holiday chore."
"But you're not bringing anything?"
"So? I got my wallet and smartphone. What else do I need? I've got clothes at home anyway."
"That's a whole different kind of extreme." The feline said, deadpanning.
"You're not bringing your homework, are you?" The orange haired male said.
"Homework can wait until after break. Holidays are for resting. Later, herbivores." The lion male said, about to walk away, but his wrist was grabbed, making him look and turn to the girl, "What is it?"
"Tell Cheka I said hi, and hope to see him soon." She said, smiling softly, as she pulled her hand back.
Leona slightly blushed, before smirking, "We'll see." He said, before walking off.
"He's good enough to do anything when he applies himself, so why doesn't he?" Jack said, before looking at them, "Well, I know I'll be getting mine done. You guys had better do the same. Later." He then walked off.
"Whatever you say, tryhard. See you next year, huh?" Ace said.
"Leona's commitment to his principles is actually impressive." Deuce said.
A pair of arms wrapped around the girl, making her look and see Cater, "Okay, froshes! Don't let those bad boy upperclassmen give you any bad ideas, you hear?"
"In our dorm, if you don't turn in your homework, Riddle makes sure it's off with your head." Trey said.
"Hello, Trey-senpai. Cater-senpai." The girl said, looking at them.
The orange haired upperclassman sighed, "Going home is kind of a drag for me, too. I just know my sisters are both coming home. They don't care if it's the holidays—they'll run me ragged anyway. I wish I could stay over at your house instead, Trey!"
"You'd be welcome to, but we'd be running you just as ragged. Winter is the patisserie's busiest time of the year." The green haired male said.
"Oh yeah, your family runs one of those, huh? So much for any escape."
(Y/n) looked at Trey with sparkling eyes, "Senpai, can I have a pastry from there?"
The male looked at her and chuckled, "Of course. I'll bring one when I come back." He said, which made the girl smile, and made him blush.
Another person walked up, and they turned to see Riddle.
"Erk! Housewarden Rosehearts! Sorry for blocking the way!" The blue haired male said.
"Hm? Oh, it's you boys and (Y/n). If you're going to stand around and congregate, at least stay near a wall." The red haired male said, his tone sounding off.
"Huh, he's soundin' kinda defeated." The tanuki whispered.
"Oh, right. The housewarden's got an extreme case of helicopter parenting waiting for him at home. No wonder he's not enthused about heading back." Ace whispered back.
"Riddle, I'm not allowed in your house, so I won't be able to bring by any cake..." The green haired male said, smiling a bit, "But you're always welcome to visit me at the store. I'm sure Chenya will drop by to hang out, too."
"Yes, you're right. I think...I'm going to try talking with mother more. I don't know if she'll listen, but even so." Riddle said, sighing softly.
"...All right. Good luck."
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over the red haired male.
"What'sa matter, Goldfishie? Don't wanna go home?" Floyd said, smiling, "Then here's an idea: don't. We're not. C'mon, you can join us in the stay-in-school club." He let out a small laugh.
Riddle jumped, startled, "Where did you come from, Floyd? And would you kindly refrain from sticking your nose in business you know nothing about? It's quite irksome." He said, frowning at the male.
"He's right, you know." Jade said, appearing next to his brother, "It's never a good idea to blindly pry into other's family affairs."
"Aw, c'mon, Jade. It's boring spending every new year with the same old suspects." Floyd said, sadly, before smiling, "Besides, Goldfishie's so teeny, I'm sure Azul would love to keep him as a pet."
"I'm sorry? Would you like to say that again?" The red haired male said, frowning at the male, "You're awfully brazen to take that tone with the head of Heartslabyul." His face went red with rage, "And speaking of heads, I'll have yours for this!"
Cater unwrapped his arms from the girl and went up to the male, "R-Riddle, no! This is not the place, my guy!"
"Settle down, Riddle. You're letting him goad you again." Trey said, putting a hand on the male's shoulder.
The said male let out an enraged noise.
The orange haired upperclassman looked at the twins, "Sooo, Floyd and Jade! Your family's in the Coral Sea, right? Why aren't you visiting them?"
"We and Azul live in the far northern reaches of the Coral Sea. And this time of year, the whole surface is covered in ice floes." Jade explained.
"What he said! It's hard gettin' home with all the freezy-freeze, and it's boring there anyway. So the three of us prefer to go home on spring break instead, when the ice has melted." Floyd said.
"Wow. Living under the sea has all kinds of challenges, huh?" The green haired male said.
"Hmph! The last thing I need is to spend the new year with you Octavinelle boys." The red haired male said, frowning at the twins, then turned to the rest, "I'll be going now. I bid you all a pleasant holiday." He said, walking away, not before giving the girl a small smile.
"Good grief. Well, at least he's got his moxie back. As for you guys, don't cut too loose over the holidays, okay? See you around." He said, then looked at the girl, "I won't forget your pastry." He pat the girl's head and walked off.
"I should be getting home, too..." Cater said, before taking out his phone, "Ah, but first, a commemorative photo!" He wrapped his arm around the girl as on either side of him was Ace and Deuce, before snapping the picture, "#FallSemesterLastDay #WithTheFroshes #HappyNewYear #JumpingTheGunLOL" He put away his phone and unwrapped his arm from the girl and waved at them, "Okay, bye now! Happy holidays, folks!" Then walked off.
Floyd looked at (Y/n), "So, Little Koi-chan. Are you and the Seal stayin' on campus? You can always drop by Octavinelle, y'know. We'd be happy to keep you company." He smiled.
Jade nodded with a smile, "A fine idea, brother. Ah, what a delightful holiday this is shaping up to be. You're welcome anytime. Now then, if you'll excuse us..." He trailed off, before the twins let out a small laugh, then walked off.
"Erk...Just lookin' at their faces makes me think back to when they were workin' me like a dog in the Mostro Lounge." Grim cried.
"Yeah, that was brutal stuff." Deuce said.
"Don't remind me." Ace said, sadly.
"Well, the crowds are thinning out. We should probably head out, ourselves."
"Good call." He said, then turned to the girl, "Oh yeah, (Y/n)..." He brought out his phone, "We should trade Magicam IDs now that you've got a smartphone. Y'know, in case something comes up."
"Oh, good idea. I'll share mine, too." The male said, taking out his phone.
Soon, the two traded their IDs with the girl, and she accepted them.
"There we go. Registered." The orange haired male said, before smirking, "Feel free to hit me up if you get bored over winter break!"
"All right. I'll keep that in mind." She said, nodding.
'She's so dense! No wonder she doesn't know much!' He thought before blushing, waving his hand, "Man, you take everything I say so seriously, (Y/n)! I was joking."
The girl blinked at him, "So, I shouldn't contact you?"
"Wha—Of cou—" He was cut off.
"Feel free to react out if you need anything at all." The blue haired male said, smiling at the girl, to which she nodded and the other male glared at him, "My mom's probably waiting on me, so I'd better go. (Y/n), Grim, happy holidays."
"Yeah, I'll do the same. (Y/n), Grim, see you next year!"
Then the two were off, waving by at the two.
"I've always thought of those guys as a couple of loudmouth, but now that they're gone..." Grim began, before frowning, "It's clear as crystal just how loud they've been! Buncha meddling so-and-sos..." He grumbled.
The girl smiled softly, "In all honesty, this is the most fun I've ever had in my life, other than spending time with my friends in U.A." She said, as she picked up the feline, "Come on." Then walked off.